Tank-heater.



J. N. PETERSON.

TANK HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1916.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

lnve ntor Witnesses Attorneys JOHN N. PETERSON, OF FERGUS FALLS, MINNESOTA.

TANK-HEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 19 1916 Application filed February 26, 1916. Serial No. 80,716.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN N. PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fergus Falls, in the county of Otter-tail and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Tank-Heater, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to heaters adapted to be placed within a watertank and which will prevent the contents of the tank from freezing, the construction of the heater being such that fuel can be supplied thereto without removing the heater from the tank, the said heater presenting an extensive surface within a compact space for contact with the contents of the tank, whereby a comparatively small amount of heat will be sufficient to prevent freezing. I

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :-Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the heater, the same being taken on the line AB Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line C-D Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section of the heater.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a flue of uniform width and made up of superposed folds forming water receiving spaces 2 therebetween, the lower end of the flue being enlarged to form a combustion chamber 3, while the upper end of the flue is enlarged to form an outlet chamber 1. The front and back walls of the flue are made up of heads 5 which extend across the ends of the spaces 2, and these heads can be formed integral with or connected in any suitable manner to the other walls of the flue. A cap 6 is arranged above the top of the fine and extends from one head to the other, this cap constituting a closure for the top of the outlet chamber 4 and there being outlet openings 7 in the top of the outlet chamber and close to the cap. The cap may be secured in place in any suitable manner, as by means of ears 8 integral with the walls of the chamber at and extending through openings in the cap and then bent laterally as shown.

A pocket 9 is formed on the front wall or head of the heater and extends practically fromthe top to the bottom thereof. This pocket is closed at the bottom but is open at the top and has a lid 10 whereby the upper end of the pocket may be closed. An opening 11 is provided for maintaining communication between the bottom portion of the pocket 9 and the combustion chamber 3. This opening 11 is adapted to be closed by a door 12 slidably mounted in the pocket and from which extends an actuating rod 13 which projects above the top of the heater and is preferably guided within a projecting portion of the cap 6. A slot 14: extends upwardly into the door from the lower edge thereof and the door is thus free, when closed, to straddle a fuel conducting pipe 15 which extends downwardly from a reservoir 16 to aburner 17 the lower portion of this pipe being extended laterally. The reservoir 16 is mounted upon a suitable support 18 provided therefor Within the upper portion of the pocket 9. By rotating this res ervoir the lower portion of the pipe 15 can be swung into or out of the combustion chamber 3. 'l/Vhen the pipe is extended into the combustion chamber, the door, when lowcred, will straddle it, said pipe extending through the slot 14:. At other times the pipe can be turned so as to lie wholly within the pocket 9, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1.

Anchoring rods 18" may be extended transversely through the heads 5 and additional anchoring rods 19 may be extended vertically through outstanding cars 20 upon the heads. Thus by means of these two sets of rods the heater can be held in any desired position within a tank.

In using the heater, the upper portion thereof must always be above the surface of the liquid contents of the tank in which the heater is located. The lid 10 is raised and fuel placed in the reservoir 16. Door 12 can be elevated by means of rod 13, after which the reservoir 16 can be rotated to swing the lower portion of the pipe 15 into the combustion chamber 3, the fuel being first igwithin the flue 1 and the water or other liquid contents of the tank contained between the superposed. thicknesses of the flue will thus be quickly heated and a circulation set up in the tank which will prevent freezmg.

Importance is attached to the fact that the burner can be lighted and fuel can be placed within the reservoir 16 without the necessity of removing the heater from the tank, these parts all being accessible from above the surface of the contents of the tank. Furthermore the heater can be readily anchored in any desired position, by means of the rods 18 and 19. The particular form of flue 1 presents an extensive heating surface.

The top or lid 10 of the pocket 9 is preferably inclined so as thus to shed snow and rain should the device he in a tank exposed out-of-doors.

The torch is removable from the heater at will for the purpose of repairing the same or for using it for other purposes.

W hat is claimed is A tank heater including heads, superposed folds interposed between the heads and cooperating therewith to form a tortuous flue, the lower end of the flue constituting a combustion chamber and the upper end of the flue constituting an outlet chamber, a pocket outstanding from one of the heads and com- 4 municating at its lower end with the combustion chamber, a support within the upper portion of the pocket, a fuel receptacle revolubly mounted on the support and with in the pocket, a burner connected to and suspended from the receptacle and adapted to swing into the combustion chamber from the pocket, a closure slidably mounted in the pocket and means extending above the pocket for shifting the closure to straddle the burner connection and to close communication between the pocket and combustion chamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN N. PETERSON. lVitnesses Oscar: T. Horn, M. N. RovANY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. c. 

